I appreciate it’s a massive understatement to say the charity sector faces numerous challenges.
We’ve seen unprecedented funding constraints but conversely an unparalleled increase in demand for services. Charity sector’s unhealthy status quo.
Leaders of small charities often juggle multiple roles, including finance, HR, fundraising, supervising, and frontline work. This results in an impossible workload, leaving little capacity for strategic thinking, innovation, or self-care. It can also be exacerbated by the personal nature of the work, especially where leaders often have lived experiences of the issues they are tackling. This constant exposure to suffering and the pressure to advocate for funding, motivation to make a difference, and prove impact just adds to the stress.
To add to this, we know that organisations are more likely – in the current economic climate – to be under pressure to keep staff numbers down, or to even have to deliver services with fewer staff – increasing the workload across the entire organisation. So, it’s no surprise that we’re hearing from more CEOs who are showing signs of burnout – symptoms include feeling chronically tired, overwhelmed, isolated, and doubting oneself.
This is backed up by findings of a recent report by the NCVO and Fair Collective:
Typically, a CEO is an expert at supporting their team and service users but more often than not neglect their own wellbeing.
Here are a few tips that can help, they may seem obvious but can be easily ignored.
Implement a wellbeing policy: Promote a culture that values wellbeing and work-life balance. Ensure the policy is applied organisation-wide ensuring you follow it as well! Role model expectations – avoid working when you don’t need to, turn off phones during holidays and outside working hours, and provide access to mental health resources such as counselling.
Manage expectations: Manage expectations with the Board, set boundaries and agree realistic goals. What happens when a CEO does not feel supported by their Board?
CEO and Chair: Consider putting in place twice yearly 1-on-1’s which particularly focus on your personal development and wellbeing. These sessions can provide a dedicated safe space for you to discuss challenges and receive guidance. It may be a time when you acknowledge you need a breather to recharge – knowing you have the full backing of the Chair to do this will help alleviate stress.
Create informal support networks: Establish and join informal networks, they can provide valuable CEO peer support and an informative platform to share experiences and garner advice, eg CharityConnect.
Coaching: Research shows that coaching can significantly enhance leadership performance and wellbeing. Ensure you’ve put aside time in the diary yearly to enrol and attend personal and professional growth initiatives, events and workshops.
Mentoring: What about a Mentor? At TPP we’re highly networked so can happily introduce you to a fellow CEO who’d be happy to share best practise and experience. This would give both you and your Mentor a shared sense of understanding and less feeling of isolation.
Why: Perhaps one of the most powerful is to remind yourself of your ‘why’. Reflect on what got you into the job and the impact you’ve already had in your role. Looking at what you’ve achieved, who has benefited through your work or the challenges you’ve overcome is very powerful.
One final important point:
Enough is enough: It may be the time to recognise that you’ve reached the end of your contributions at the organisation and you’re ready to explore new opportunities.
If you feel it is the right time to look for a new role, we are available to arrange a confidential discussion to focus on your job search. We can also direct you to relevant resources, connect you with a mentor, or introduce you to another CEO at a similar charity who understands your challenges.
At TPP, we have been supporting the charity sector for nearly 30 years and understand the incredible work you do!
Please contact Matt, Lisa, or Sema on the Leadership and Governance team:
executive@tpp.co.uk / 020 7198 6060.
